Software Development Salary in California
$78.5K - $87.3K
5% of jobs
$87.3K - $96.2K
4% of jobs
$96.2K - $105.1K
5% of jobs
$105.1K - $114K
5% of jobs
$120.7K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$114K - $122.9K
7% of jobs
$122.9K - $131.8K
8% of jobs
$131.8K - $140.6K
10% of jobs
The median wage is $144.2K / yr.
$140.6K - $149.5K
12% of jobs
$149.5K - $158.4K
17% of jobs
$158.8K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$158.4K - $167.3K
16% of jobs
$167.3K - $176.2K
10% of jobs
$78.5K
$146.1K
$176.2K
$140,241
/year
$67.42
/hour
Software Development Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$142,102
California
California
$140,241
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How much does a Software Development make in California?
As of Aug 23, 2026, the average annual pay for a Software Development in California is $140,241 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $67.42 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,696/week or $11,686/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as $176,162 and as low as $78,459, the majority of Software Development salaries currently range between $121,900 (25th percentile) to $160,900 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $170,734 annually in California. The average pay range for a Software Development varies greatly (by as much as 39000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
California ranks number 50 out of 50 states nationwide for Software Development salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Software Development jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Software Development on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Software Development Jobs in California
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Software Development job is above the average in California in California. Topping the list is Cupertino, , with Berkeley, and Redwood City, close behind in the second and third positions. Redwood City, beats the average in California by $33,742 (24.1%), and Cupertino, furthers that trend with another $35,076 (25.0%) above the $140,241 average.
With these 10 cities paying on average above the average for California, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Software Development appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 4% between Cupertino, and Santa Clara, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Software Development role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Cupertino | $175,317 | $84.29 |
Berkeley | $173,995 | $83.65 |
Redwood City | $173,983 | $83.65 |
Bodega Bay | $168,641 | $81.08 |
Mountain View | $167,634 | $80.59 |
East Palo Alto | $167,442 | $80.50 |
San Francisco Bay Area | $167,420 | $80.49 |
San Francisco | $167,215 | $80.39 |
Palo Alto | $167,043 | $80.31 |
Santa Clara | $166,889 | $80.24 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Software Development Jobs in California
Analyzing similar jobs related to the Software Development job category in California, we found 5 that were relevant. However, none pay more than the $140241 state average for Software Development jobs.
Nevertheless Senior Full Stack Web Developer, Full Stack Net Developer, or Senior Web Developer may still be interesting positions to explore.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Senior Full Stack Web Developer | $116,337 | $55.93 |
Full Stack Net Developer | $115,396 | $55.48 |
Senior Web Developer | $113,056 | $54.35 |
Software Implementation Engineer | $105,527 | $50.73 |
Junior Full Stack Engineer | $93,304 | $44.86 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
